Apparatus for treating metallic strip



NOV. 12, J R HERSHEY ETAL APPARATUS FOR TREATING METALLIC STRIP Filed March 15, 1957 5 Shets-Shee t 1 f5 25 D 24 Z/ Nov. 12, 1940. J. R. HERSHEY EI'AL APPARATUS FOR TREATING METALLIC STRIP Filed March 15, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventors.- JaH/v E. HEESHE) and J4 MES K. L MOEEE ,1 .1. R. HERSHEY ETAL 1. 4

APPARATUS FOR TREATING METALLIC STRIP Filed March 15, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 QWQHEM Q ww Q [mien divs. E /L/EE5HE Y and K. Lama/ass apza/ JQMES NOV. 12, 1940. J HERSHEY ErAL 2,221,348

APPARATUS FOR TREATING METALLIC STRIP Filed March 15, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 bwefltonss JOHN E. HERSHEY and JQMES LHMOEEE.

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR TREATING METALLIC STRIP John R. Hershey, Gary, Ind., and James K. Lamoree, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 15, 1937, Serial No. 131,062

1 Claim.

This invention relates to metallic strip and .more particularly to the cleaning and polishing thereof.

With the advent, in recent years, of a'marked increase in the demand for, and consequent production of, wide thin metallic" strip in long lengths, the problems of handling such materials have likewise become increasingly acute. The coating of continuous metallic strip, such as with tin and terne, is rapidly becoming commercially practicable. The heretofore tried and. proved methods of coating and subsequent cleansing and polishing of metallic strip in the conventional short lengths must be discarded when consider- 1 ing the treatment of unlimited lengths of the Same material. That is to say, cleaning and polishing devices for short sheets have no difiiculty in applying the cleaning medium to both sides thereof due to the fact that it can be fed to the 20 upper surfaces and permitted to fall between successively fed sheets onto the device which applies it to the lower surfaces. However, continuous strip will not permit the cleaning medium to fall from above onto the device which applies it to the lower surface.

It is among the objects of the present invention to rapidly and uniformly clean and polish both sides of metallic strip of unlimited length.

The foregoing and other objects will be appar- 30 cut after'referring to the drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 1 are a plan, broken on the line X of a continuous coating and cleaning unit which embodies the apparatus of the present invention; 1

35 Figures 2 and 2 are a sectional elevation, broken on the line Y, of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 1; '1

Figure 3 is a plan of the apparatus of the invention;

40 Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line V--V of Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating a de- 45 tail of the apparatus of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral Ill designates a coil of wide and relatively thin metallic strip S of unlimited length. Referring to Figures 1 and l and 2 and 2 this 50 coil H3 is suitably mounted on a stand 12, and unwound and moved from right to left passing initially through a conventional tensioning stand A which is made up of a pair of driven pinch rolls l3, a relatively spaced roll l3 and an intermediately disposed counterweighted roll I3 This tensioning stand A is, accordingly, constructed and arranged to hold the strip S in a taut and flat condition.

The strip in this condition is then passed under a wooden roller M which is immersed in the acid 5 in an acid tank B, whereby the strip is pickled. Following the pickling operation, the taut strip S is then passed over an elevated wooden roll l5 and under a wooden roller l6 which is immersed in the rinse water in a rinse tankC. 10

The strip S is pulled through the acid and rinse tanks B and C, respectively, by a pair of pinch rolls [8 which are driven by a suitable motor 19.

At the outlet side of the driven pinch r0115 18 15 there is disposed a coating machine D which contains a suitable coating medium, such as molten tin or the like. At its entrance, or introductory side, the coating machine D is provided with a pair of guide rolls 23, and a trough 24 containin 20 a suitable molten fluxing medium through which the strip S is passed prior to its immersion in the coating medium. The strip S is guided upwardly out of the coating medium between a series of squeeze rolls Which are driven by a motor 21 25 and immersed in a solidification-promoting medium, such as a palm oil mixture.

Between the driven pinch rolls l8 and the guide rolls 23 of the coating machine D, there is disposed a limit switch 20 having an operating arm 21 below and adjacent the path the strip S is intended to follow. This limit switch 20 is suitably connected to a inotor 22 which drives the pinch rolls I3, the arrangement being conventional and such that the depression of the operating anm 2| retards the speed of the pinch rolls. Therefore, if the strip S sags between the rinse tank C and coating machine D, the speed of feed of the strip will be decreased until the proper relationship is established.

As the coated strip S emerges from the coating machine D, it is passed over a counterweighted roll 28 and into a wash tank E which contains a weak solution of a suitable alkali, such as soda, and serves to further 'cool the coated strip and remove some of its palm oil coating. This wash tank E is made up of a pair of spaced wooden rolls 30, a plurality of intermediately disposed cleaning rolls 31, and a plurality of squeeze rolls 39 at the delivery or exit side thereof. Preferably the pairs .of rolls 3'! and 39 are made up of one flannel roll and one metal roll.

After the strip S emerges from the squeeze rolls 39 of the wash tank E, it is passed into the novel cleaning and polishing, or scrubbing, machine F of the invention. Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, this novel cleaning and polishing, or scrubbing, machine F comprises a shallow tank 66 having a deepened hopper M at the delivery or exit end thereof. This shallow tank 66 is mounted on legs 62 of suitable height.

Within the shallow tank 66 there is journalled a series of spaced-apart horizontally aligned cloth covered cleaning rolls 65, 66, 61, 68, 69 and 16, and a series of superposed spaced-apart horizontally aligned cloth covered cleaning rolls 15, 16, 11, 18, 19 and 86 for cooperation therewith. An introductory conveying roll 64 is journalled in the shallow tank 66 adjacent the cloth covered cleaning roll 65 and a delivery conveying roll H is journalled in the shallow tank 66' adjacentthe cloth covered cleaning roll 16. One

end of each of the rolls 15 and 11 carries a sprocket, as shown at 82 and 84, respectively. These sprockets 82 and 84 are connected by a chain 83. Each of the rolls 66, 11, 68, 19 and 16 carries a sprocket as at 86, 81, 88, 89 and 96, respectively. A shaft 93 is journalled beneath the shallow tank 66 and carries an idler sprocket 94 which is connected to the sprockets 86, 81, 88, 89 and 96 on the rolls 66, 11, 68, 19 and 16, respectively, by a chain 95. v

A shaft 91 is journalled beneath the shallow tank 66 and carries a sprocket 98. This sprocket 98 is connected by a chain I66 to a sprocket 99 which is carried by the roll 16.

A motor I62 is disposed adjacent the cleaning -and polishing, or scrubbing, machine F and provided with reduction gearing I63 with which there is connected a sprocket I64. This sprocket I64 is connected by a chain I65 to a sprocket I66 on the shaft 91.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the motor I62 drives the cloth covered cleaning rolls 15, 11, 66, 68, 19 and 16.

Referring again to Figure 3, each of the cloth covered cleaning rolls 65, 16, 61, 18, 69 and 86 carries a sprocket, as at III), III, H2, H3, H4 and H5, respectively. The introductory conveying roll 64 carries a sprocket H6 and the delivery conveying roll 1I carries a sprocket I I1, as shown in Figure 4.

An idler sprocket H8, mounted on a shaft 93 journalled beneath the shallow tank 66 is connected by a chain 9 with the sprockets II 6, III, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 and H1 on the rolls 65, 16, 61, 18, 69, 86, 64 and M, respectively.

The delivery conveying roll 1L carries a large sprocket I26 which is connected to a small sprocket I2I on the shaft 91 by a chain I22.

Therefore, the introductory conveying roll 64,

cloth covered cleaning rolls 65, 16, 61, 18, 69 and 86, and the delivery conveying roll II are all driven by the motor I62, but at a slower speed than the cloth covered cleaning roll 66,. 11, 15, I

68', 19 and 16. This arrangement provides a very efiicient scrubbing action.

Between the cloth covered cleaning rolls 65 and 15 and the introductory roll 64, there is disposed a vertically extending housing I25 having an upper adjustable feed orifice I26. Each side of the housing I25 is provided with a horizontal slot I21 to permit the passage ofa strip therethrough. Within the housing I25 there is journalled a pair of spaced-apart vertically parallel double screw spiral conveyers, as shown at I28 and E29. Referring to Figure 6, these double 75 screw spiral conveyors I28 and I29 are identical,

both being constructed to feed outwardly in both directions from their mid-portions if rotated in the same direction. However, they rotate oppositely and therefore the lower double screw spiral conveyer feeds the cleaning medium inwardly toward its mid-portion while the double screw spiral conveyer functions conversely.

The double screw conveyers I28 and I29 carry a pair of intermeshing gears, as shown at I36 and I3 I. The lower double screw spiral conveyer I28 carries a sprocket I32. A shaft I35 is journalled below the introductory roll 64 and carries a sprocket I36 which is connected by a chain I31 to a sprocket I38 on a shaft I39 which is journalled adjacent the shaft 91.

This shaft I39 carries a large gear I46 which meshes with a similar gear I4I carried by the shaft 91. The shaft I35 carries a sprocket I42 which is connected by a chain I43 to the sprocket I32 on the lower double screw spiral conveyer I28. Immediately over the deepened hopper 6I of the shallow tank 66 there is journalled a supplemental delivery roll I45 which carries a pair of sprockets I46 and I41. The sprocket I46 is connected by a chain I48 to a sprocket I49 on the cloth covered cleaning roll 16. The extreme delivery or exit end of the cleaning and polishing, or scrubbing, machine F is provided with an extension I5I in which there is journalled a second supplemental delivery roll I52. This second supplemental delivery roll I52 carries a sprocket I53 which is connected. by a chain I54 to the sprocket I41 on the supplemental delivery roll I45.

Between the delivery roll II and the supplemental delivery roll- I45, there is disposed a bottom guide I55 for the strip S, and immediately above the same a diagonally mounted rotary brush I56. The end of the diagonally mounted rotary brush I56, which is adjacent the cloth covered cleaning roll 86, carriesa bevel gear I58 which meshes with a bevel gear I59 on the roll 86. Therefore, the rotary brush I56 is rotated oppositely from the cloth covered cleaning roll 86.

Referring to Figure 4, the cleaning and polishing, or scrubbing, machine F embodies a suction manifold generally indicated at I62. This suction manifold is constructed and arranged to permit the passage of the strip S therethrough at a point which is between the supplemental delivery roll I45 and second supplemental delivery roll I52, and comprises lower and upper manifold sections I63 andI64, respectively. The lower manifold section I63 is shown as provided with a central partition I66, a pair of air passages I61 and I68 and a small orifice I69. The upper manifold section I64 is shown as provided with a central partition I16 and large and small orifices HI and I12, respectively.

Within the deepened hopper 6| of the shallow tank 66, there is journalled a single screw spiral I conveyer I14 which carries a sprocket I15. This sprocket I15 is connected by a chain I16 to a sprocket I11 on the shaft 91. At the delivery or exit end of the single screw spiral conveyer I 14 a vertical housing I18is connected to the deepened hopper 6| of the shallow tank 66. This vertical housing contains a conventional bucket conveyer (not shown) which. is driven through a sprocket ing, or scrubbing, machine F passes the strip through the horizontal slots I21 in the vertically extending housing I25. While passing through the vertically extending housing I25, the strip S is provided on both of its sides with bran, or other suitable scrubbing medium, by the lower and upper parallel double screw spiral conveyers, I28 and I29, respectively. tioned, the function of the upper double screw spiral conveyer i2! is to feed the cleaning medium from its mid-portion outwardly toward its ends, while .the function of the lower double screw spiral conveyer I28 is to feed the cleaning medium from both of its ends inwardly toward its mid-portion. The strip S, thus provided on both of its surfaces with the cleaningmedium, is then 7 passed through the cloth covered'cleaning rolls 65 through 10 and I5 through 80. As the scrubbed strip S is fed from between the last; pair of cloth covered cleaning rolls (I0 and 80), it is fed onto the delivery conveying roll II and over the bottom guide I55.

During its passage over the bottom guide I55, the upper, surface of the strip S is contacted by the reversely rotating diagonally mounted rotary brush I 55, which functions to divert the cleaning medium therefrom, whereupon it is permitted to flow downwardly into the deepened hopper BI at the delivery or exit end of the shallow tank 60. As the strip emerges from between the bottom guide I55 and the reversely rotating rotary brush I55, it is passed onto the supplemental delivery roll I45, and through the suction manifold generally indicated at I82. As the strip S emerges from this suction manifold, it is directed onto the the cleaning or scrubbing machine F.

As previously men-,

After the cleaned and polished strip S is fed from the cleaning and polishing, or scrubbing,-

machine F, it is passed through a tensioning stand G which is made up of a canvas covered idle roll I", a relatively spaced pair of rolls H2 and I 12', and an intermediately disposed counterweighted roll I1 I. This tensioning stand G is, accordingly, constructed and arranged to hold the strip S in a taut and flat condition.

The strip in this condition is then passed to a coiling machine H of any suitable design. After the strip S has been coiled by the coiling machine H, it may be further treated in any manner desired.

While we have shown and described one specific embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that we do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claim.

We claim:

In an apparatus for cleaning strip, a pair of superposed adjacent double spiral screw conveyers, each of said screw conveyers comprising opposed right-hand and left-hand screw portions extending inwardly toward the center thereof, said screw conveyers being reversely rotatable, means for supplying a cleaning medium to the inner ends of the right-hand screw portion and the left-hand screw portion of the upper of said screw conveyers, the upper of said screw conveyers'being so rotatable as to move the cleaning medium toward .the ends thereof, and a housing for said screw conveyers, said housing being constructed and arranged to permit intercommunication between said conveyers adjacent both of their corresponding ends, whereby the cleaning medium may be delivered outwardly toward and from the ends of the upper of said screw conveyers to the corresponding portions of the lower of said screw conveyers, and said housing having a slot in its forward and rearward side walls to permit the passage of a strip therethrough, and between said screw conveyers.

JOHN R. HERSHEY. JAMES K. LAMOREE. 

